Global advertising agencies: Cannes Lions 2026: Agentic present but identity remained the core debate

Research evidence excerpt

Global advertising agencies: Cannes Lions 2026: Agentic present but identity remained the core debate

Global Research

29 June 2026ab

Global advertising agencies Equities

GlobalCannes Lions 2026: Agentic present but identity

remained the core debate Internet Services

Jo Barnet-Lamb

Analyst

joseph.barnet-lamb@ubs.com

20+ meetings in 4 days +44-20-7567 4599

Last week, we held 20+ sessions with experts and corporates on our Cannes Lions Field Ashna Gautam

trip. We hosted all of the major holdcos in addition to challenger agencies, ad tech Associate Analyst

players and industry experts. The festival had strong attendance across the ecosystem ashna.gautam@ubs.com

and what seemed to be a notable increase in the number of influencers and creators. As +44-20-7567 6364

expected, AI remained the dominant theme with data, identity and measurable

outcomes at the core of agency positioning, and discussions, in our view, largely built on

existing themes rather than representing a meaningful shift in ideas.

Five main takeaways:

1. Diverging stances on identity and data: The debate around ID remains central,

with Publicis and Omnicom continuing to emphasise connected identity as the

foundation for unifying customer data and driving measurable outcomes. This

contrasts with WPP’s more federated approach, where data extends beyond

identity and is kept within the client’s environment. Debate continues in the

industry as to whether integrated, end-to-end platforms or more open, flexible

architecture will produce better client outcomes. What was common though was

the general focus on more personalised and targeted advertising solutions in

various forms.

2. The rising significance of sports: There was a clear step-up in focus on sports,